Friday, February 20

One of the most anticipated releases this month, here, at Breezing Through, was Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs. We've all become fans of the Mercy Thompson series in the past year and let me tell you, Ames and Chantal have developed a serious girl crush on Mercy - it's scary!! LOL :) Well, I guess that leaves the males to me... yummy :D

Note of warning before you get onto the review, there are spoilers!

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggspublished by Berkley in February 2009

By day, Mercy is a car mechanic in the sprawling Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington. By night, she explores her preternatural side. As a shapeshifter with some unique talents, Mercy has often found herself having to maintain a tenuous harmony between the human and the not so human. This time she may get more than she bargained for.

Marsilia, the local Vampire Queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan - and she's out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from direct reprisal by the werewolf pack (and her close relationship with its sexy Alpha), it won't be Mercy's blood Marsilia is after.

It'll be her friends.

Genre: urban fantasySeries: Mercy Thompson, Book #4

The Story: Bone Crossed picks up things right where Iron Kissed ended. Mercy has to deal with the aftermath of Tim, which is not easy. In addition, although she has chosen Adam (over Samuel), she feels pressured to accept him as her mate for the good of the pack. Before anything could be worked out, Stefan dropped into her house - tortured and starved - telling Mercy to run because Marsilia knows about Mercy killing Andre, a member of Marsilia's seethe. Then, a sign of bones crossed is painted on Mercy's garage door - indicating that Mercy is a traitor to the vampires and it will attract all sort of nasties... Unexpectedly, Mercy is given an out from the Tri-Cities when an old friend comes and asks for Mercy's help to deal with a ghost... However, can she leave the werewolves behind? And how much can she trust this friend?

Nath: We're all done with Bone Crossed :) so what did we think of it?

Ames: I liked it.

Chantal: I loved it.

Nath: LOL, that's short and concise :)

I liked it too :) Actually, I enjoyed it a lot and thought it was much better than Iron Kissed... but I might be biased on this :) One of the reason I liked Bone Crossed so much is because of Stefan's return!!! I was so worried that he wouldn't return for a long time and honestly, I'm pissed at the way Mercy treated him at the end of Blood Bound... but all that doesn't matter anymore because Stefan is back!! We all know where Adam and Sam stand, but Stefan... let just say he has layers :P

Chantal: Stefan is yummy. He can suck on my neck... and other places, anytime he wants. A little thrill shot through me every time he popped in and out.

Ames, I totally thought of you when Adam got a little grumpy after Stefan licked Mercy's hands clean.

Ames: I loved all of Mercy's interactions with Stefan. He was just so physical with her. What can I say? I see some jealousy from Adam in regards to him and that makes my little heart go pitter patter. LOL

Nath, in regards to how Mercy treated Stefan at the end of Blood Bound, it makes sense. She's mad at him for killing innocent people.

Nath: I do understand Mercy's position towards the innocent having to die... still, it just annoys me. She has to understand why Stefan did it as well.

But back to Bone Crossed. The opening of the book was great! Mercy's mother is such a hoot!! I wished she'd have stayed longer. I also wished that the book would have taken place a bit longer after Iron Kissed instead of immediately. Give her more time to deal with the aftermath of being raped :(

Chantal: I thought the time line as per when the story carried on was perfect. Briggs dealt with Mercy's aftermath is a good way. It wasn't swept under the rug and forgotten. It was mentioned a few times and Mercy had both physical and emotional reactions to situations that reminded her of Tim and what he had done to her. There was not any better way that Briggs could have written it, imo.

Ames: I think she did a good job too. It also fit with how Adam and Mercy came together and it really helped their relationship, imo. It lets Mercy know she's not alone and that Adam and the pack in some ways are there to help her as well.

Nath: True, true. Though the pack is there, for many, it's unwillingly. Personally, I don't understand why so many werewolves look down on her? Is it because she's only a coyote? Whatever prejudices they have, shouldn't they know better by now?

Ames:That's exactly it. She's not one of them. I think the werewolves have this ego in regards to themselves. The big bad wolf and all that jazz. So anyone who isn't a wolf is lesser in their eyes.

Nath: Absolutely love the way Mercy told Aurielle to deal with it :)

Chantal: Aurielle wasn't very nice to Mercy, none of the women seem to like her, but I like how Mercy just kinda blows them off. It's interesting that the men are accepting Mercy faster than the women pack members are.

Nath: Isn't that usually the way, especially when said woman is - well in this case - more alpha than you? I mean, she's going to pull rank over you and you think she's a nobody. Also, it's not just the fact that she's becoming the Alpha's mate, there's something else. By the way, I don't think the men are accepting her faster. There's Darryl and Ben... and perhaps Paul, but it's because she had the chance to show her worth to them. Hasn't really happened yet with the women.

What did you think of the whole Marsillia's storyline? And the ghost? I was a bit dubious about the two storylines... At the start, neither sounded really interesting, but boy was I wrong! Also, I think that Ms Briggs did a good job meshing the two together.

Chantal: Marsilia is a bitch. Can't wait for her to be killed off. The story line with her was good, I still hate her, though.

Ames: I think Marsilia's character is interesting. And that plot to get Stefan to become an outsider? That was sooo convoluted! LOL

And I thought Chad was so cute. :P

Nath: Indeed. She is really lucky that Stefan is so loyal. That's a trait I admire in him. As for Marsilia, she is definitively a bitch, but very mysterious. Do you think she is as crazy as Bernard and Elisa claimed? Because it doesn't show... and I don't know if a crazy person would come up with such a plan... then again, perhaps. I have to say, I'm a bit worried about Wulfe. Wonder if we'll see more of the Tuxedo vampire... I kind of hope so, because it could get very interesting.

Chantal: Hmm, I'm not sure if Marsilia is as nuts as they say. It's hard for me to get a feel for her, which is probably why I can't stand her so much. Other than the fact that she has it in for Mercy.

Wulfe gives me the creeps, big time.Nath:I thought the ghost plot involving Blackwood was great. That was a good plot and it kept me guessing. I think Ms Briggs did a great job keeping everything ambiguous: was Amber good or bad? What about Corban, the husband - a jerk or a good father? I really enjoyed how things turned out. By the way, I have to say, Blackwood's powers? Scary.

Chantal: Yes, the Amber /Corban thing was great. I wasn't sure about Amber at first either. And I was expecting to not like Corban, but he came through.

Nath: I know! I was expecting Corban to be an ass, but he wasn't... and no matter how Amber used to be and how she turned out, she was a good mother.

Favorite parts anyone? I don't think I have any, I just enjoyed the whole book :)

Chantal: My favourite part was when Mercy threw the juice in Adam and Samuel's faces. It made me laugh out loud, lol.

Ames: I looooved the tree thing in the basement. What was its name again? And the stick!! I want to know what's happening with the stick!

But my favourite part was whenever Adam got jealous over Mercy. I love that! In small, unabusive doses of course.

Chantal: Oh! I liked all the jealous parts, too. The possessiveness is awesome. And that's The Oakman. He was neat. I'm glad he was finally freed. His gift to Mercy was very sweet.

Nath: What was his gift? LOL, did I miss something?

Chantal: The gift was the oak tree that suddenly appeared next to Mercy's trailer :)

Nath: Sigh, going to have to wait another year for the next Mercy book. At least, in the meantime, there'll be an Alpha and Omega book :) Still, I kind of wonder where Ms Briggs is going to take the story next. Aside from seeing how Mercy is going to integrate in the pack, I guess it's going to be kind of a new plot :P There are rumors of a marriage... Wonder who :P

Chantal: Maybe the wedding is Warren and Kyle's? That would be cool.

Nath: Oh, yeah!! I wish there's been more of Warren and Kyle :P LOL, the phone call Mercy gave to Kyle to check on Warren, that was so cute!

So your grade for Bone Crossed? It's an A- for me :)

Chantal:Afrom me. Can't wait for the next one.

Ames:I'm giving it an A-. I loved it, but not as much as Iron Kissed. It's still thoroughly enjoyable however. I'm mad at myself for finishing it so fast. LOL

Tuesday, February 17

Today I am buddy reviewing with Kris - a first for us. Kris hails from the Reading Spot, one of my fave blogs - Kris has influenced many a book buying decision of mine. LOL

As always, there are spoilers. Ye've been warned!

When Leila Hunt is swept off her feet by a ninja at a New Year's Eve costume party, she has no idea who the masked man is - but after he disappears into the night, she's determined to find him. When the clock struck twelve, what began as a friendly New Year's greeting quickly became the most unforgettable kiss Leila had ever experiences with anyone - including her absent boyfriend. But of all the possible suspects, Leila hardly imagines that the ninja is the same man who's teased, tormented - and secretly intrigued her - since childhood.

Marshall Devlin is finally ready to face the terrifying truth: he's in love with his best friend's sister, and has been for years. There's just one complication: Leila didn't know he was her ninja. To win her, Marsh will have to woo her. But can he make Leila forget their decades of verbal sparring in time to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life?

Ames: So-what did you think?

Kris: I enjoyed this book a lot. It combined two of my favorite themes, friends to lovers and sibling's best friend. The other one that comes to mind is the saying, there is a thin line between love and hate. These two have been fighting one another since they were kids. I love that they get together.

Ames: I know! That's what I liked about it too. Friends to lovers is one of my fave themes ever. So although these two aren't really best friends - they grew up around each other and have that history.

Leila, she kind of got on my nerves sometimes. But I like how she came around to liking Devlin and the more she liked him, the more I liked her. LOL

Kris: Yeah, Leila was kind of annoying at first, but then she grew on me. She was looking out for her friend.I thought it was a very entertaining storyline to watch unfold. I kept waiting and wondering when and how she was going to find out who her "ninja" admirer was. I loved how Devlin began to court her, so sweet.

Ames:Yeah, it was fun to see how it played out. I wasn't disappointed at all.

I like how Leila started to see the true Devlin, not the ice cube she thought he was. And it helps that he knew he loved her already. Not like they both found out at the same time.

And the whole "ninja" thing, I thought that was going to be more involved and it wasn't. Which made me happy - I didn't want to see Leila and her friend act dumb trying to "solve" a mystery. LOL There was no true mystery. OOh, I like when Devlin got jealous over the two guys.

Ok, I thought Kiss and Tell was thoroughly enjoyable. A solid B from me. :P

Kris:I thought this was a good solid story from her. Definitely worth reading if you want a fun light read. Solid B from me.

Saturday, February 14

Remember though, us romance readers celebrate romance throughout the year :P Before announcing the winner of the contest, we'd like to thank everyone for participating! We had a great turn out, and to be frank, were a bit surprised by it :) The number of participants exceeded what we expected :) So thank you very much for participating!

If we could, you'd all be winners; however, there is only one winner...

MARIE

Congrats Marie!!! Please contact us through e-mail at breezingthroughbooks @ gmail.com (without the spaces). You have till Monday February 16, 11.59pm (Eastern time) to contact us. If we haven't heard from you then, we'll choose a new winner :)

Friday, February 13

Here at Breezing Through we love a good romance and we love to share said romance books.We also believe that you don't need a single day to celebrate romance.

Well, we are taking Valentine's back with our Anti-Valentines Day contest. We have three categories of romantic books that we will give away. All are new releases. Please pick onlyone book from eachcategory.

Thursday, February 5

One book that has gotten quite a buzz in blogland in the beginning of 2009 is Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl. Many opinions... not all bad or good... but enough to make me a bit apprehensive. See, I had this book on my TBB list since October - just because the cover and synopsis appealed to me. Then, I started reading some of the reviews and they had me a bit wary... Luckily, Ames got her hands on this book early and enjoyed it! So she gave me the push I needed to take the plunge.

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahlpublished by HQN books in January 2009

Molly Jenkins has one naughty little secret: her job as a bestselling erotic fiction author. Until her inspiration runs dry—thanks to a creepy ex — and it's time to skip town and move back to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

One look at former high school hunk chief of police Ben Lawson and Molly is back in business. The town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse still, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straitlaced Ben will definitely not approve...

Genre: contemporary romanceSeries: none

Ames: Let's do this!

Nath: LOL. All right, here we go...

I can see why you love the story :D Brother's bestfriend + sister, that's one of your favorite theme :D I've been on the look-out for this book since October... then, when the reviews start coming, I was a bit apprehensive. However, I ended up really enjoying it :D

Ames: Hmm...the brother's best friend bit wasn't what drew me to this book in the first place and it wasn't really a big deal. LOL, I really enjoyed it too. I had a few LOL moments.

Nath: Me too :) My favorite part of the book was Molly and Ben's relationship. They had a past and easy camaraderie. They did have a relationship despite all the sex.

Ames: They did have a relationship, despite Molly's efforts. I found that she did not communicate well and so that kept things pretty shallow between them for a while. But because of the past, it was ok. Because if that was two strangers? No way would it have worked. I enjoyed the fact that Ben was drawn to Molly time and time again.

Nath: Well, you know, Molly wasn't looking for a long-term relationship. She was looking for a fling, so it makes sense she kept things shallow. I think the fact that they knew each other so well beforehand is what turned this fling into a relationship. As for the sex, I thought it was okay. I don't see why someone said that Molly was like a 'dog in heat'. She was a sexual woman, yes, but she didn't go overboard.

Ames: I know which review you're referring to. That review just pissed me off! It was taking things out of context and what is so wrong about a woman enjoying sex? NOTHING.

Nath: I don't get it either.

Anyway, one of the big deal about this book in almost all the reviews was the fact that Molly was keeping secrets from Ben. Personally, I was okay with Molly not telling Ben what she was doing for a job because 1) nobody knew and 2) she thought she was only having a fling... in which case, i don't see why she would tell him something she never told anyone, knowing he would freak out. The fact that she considered telling him was a major step for her. Also, will people really believe that Ben has been her inspiration for all her books? Okay, so he was for one... big deal.

However, like most, I'm not okay with her not telling about Cameron earlier. I can understand why though, but still... it's stupid, especially when you're being stalked. I have to say, Cameron was the weakest part of the storyline in my opinion and I wish he actually hadn't been part of the story. Due to Cameron and his "kidnapping," I felt like Ms Dahl really rushed to wrap things up... and as a result, Ben and Molly never got to work out their issues under normal circumstances. Instead, it was rushed and they made up after the "dangerous situation" and "I could have lost you" emotions.

Ames: I agree with you about both points. Not telling Ben about Cameron seemed stupid to me. Like that was taking her inability to open up a bit too far. Not saying anything about her job until SHE was ready, ESPECIALLY knowing that Ben was a stickler for privacy and wanting to avoid scandal? That made sense. But she could have told Ben about Cameron. That whole bit when Cameron comes to town and tries to make nice with Ben - that could have led to a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. As it was, Ben got mad. So it still kind of went in that direction.

I agree also about the ending being rushed.

Nath: Did you actually wonder why Ben stayed in Tumble Creek? I mean, if he hated scandal as much as he did, the logical step would have been for him to move away to some place where nobody knew about his father's scandal... Like his mother did. Why stay in Tumble Creek where everyone knew?

Ames: You make a good point about Ben staying in the same town. I never even picked up on that.

Nath: It's just something I was wondering. Aside from that though, Ben was a great hero :) I like his confidence and the fact that he was cleary well in his skin. Not too macho, not too feminine LOL :)

As for Molly, she's never going to be my favorite heroine, but she wasn't bad either. She was a fun and happy character. It's not just that she wasn't looking for a relationship with Ben, but I think with any man. That's why she broke it up with Cameron. Why, when it's the hero, we accept it, but when it's the heroine, we don't? She was looking for a fling and it turned into a relationship. She panicked, like most heroes do...

Ames: Yeah, Molly was a good heroine in that she was straight forward about sex and she was strong, but she also has her flaws, so that prevents her from being perfect. She's more realistic that way and I like that in my contemporary romances, for their to be some semblance of reality. LOL

Ok, I gave this a grade when I first finished reading it, but I'm changing it now upon reflection. I'm giving it a B-. It was good, but I had some quibbles with it. :P

Nath: LOL, funny, seems like I'm going to give it a higher grade than you. This was a B for me. I thought it was a solid book, except for the ending and the fact she didn't tell Ben about Cameron.